5. Session I: Country priorities for
rehabilitation

The representatives from the six tsunami impacted countries
presented overviews of the extent of impact in their countries, their responses
to date and plans for future rehabilitation.

All countries had already provided considerable assistance to
affected people. The response was obviously related to the degree of impact,
with the worst-hit countries of Indonesia and Sri Lanka still focussed at
providing physical inputs to assist people in re-starting their income
generating capacity, while in less-hit areas such as Myanmar the focus was more
on preventative measures to mitigate effects of future disasters. Difficulties
in reaching all people in need were discussed and it was agreed that close
cooperation between NGOs and governments was required to improve this
situation.

A large amount of national planning and policy development had
already taken place in all countries that included consideration of coastal
zoning, sustainable fisheries and environmentally sound aquaculture. However, it
was obvious from the discussions at the workshop that further debate and
consensus building was required. Several countries recognized that in
rehabilitating affected communities it would be possible to improve the
performance of the fishery and aquaculture sectors in their countries. These
improvements included possible modernization, community-based management and
reduction in fishing capacity.

A common theme of all of the country presentations was that
the participation of people and communities in the rehabilitation process and
adequate consultation was important. Other themes that emerged were the need for
more detailed assessments of environment and livelihood, as well as the critical
need for effective communication of these needs within the impacted countries
and to the international community at large.

As requested, all countries provided input on their priority
needs. These included planning and policy development, improved coastal
management, training and human capacity building, enhancing government
institutions and governance, post-harvest technology leading to better food
safety. These needs were further ealaborated during the workshop and
incorporated into the programme draft.